


The Way (Into My Heart)

by SupremeTrashOverlord



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Altean Lance (Voltron), Blade of Marmora Keith, Bodyguard AU, Galra Keith (Voltron), M/M, Prince Lance - Freeform, alfor is a shitty dad to lance in this one, fluff mostly, he just wants to make his dad proud, keith is actually super nice???, lance and allura siblings, langst (in the beginning), mutual pining (quickly resolved b/c i have no chill)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-05
Updated: 2018-08-12
Packaged: 2018-11-23 16:05:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,684
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11405832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SupremeTrashOverlord/pseuds/SupremeTrashOverlord
Summary: Though surrounded by people he had always felt alone. While he could fake a smile, play the part of the reckless and flirty prince, in his heart of hearts he was lonely. Almost being kidnapped had seemed like the cherry on top of his already miserable day, but it led him to Keith, so maybe it wasn’t so bad after all.





	1. Prolog

**Author's Note:**

> Guess whose starting a new story even though she has a different one she never finished! I've had this idea for a couple of months now, and actually posted my ideas for this au on tumblr (if anyone thinks it looks familiar). I'm planning for this work to have 15 chapters plus a pro-log and epilogue, and maybe a one-shot spin-off series for all the scenes that don't make the cut. Anyways, here it is!

In retrospect, maybe he should have seen it coming. The odd looks from servants he swears weren’t there the day before, the chill in the air and the tingle down his spine. Looking back he probably should have felt the tension in the air. But of course, he did not. For he was far too caught up in his own mind to notice the forces at work around him. 

Then again, a prince lives a life of luxury, where he needn’t worry about anything. The fact is, he did not notice and therefore was unprepared to be suddenly grabbed while walking in the gardens. 

It really isn’t his fault! His mind was preoccupied! He had been having a spectacularly crummy day, and the events were swirling around in his brain, harassing him.   
The day had started out all wrong. While at breakfast, the handle of the cup he was drinking out of had broken off and spilled his drink all down his front. Later, has he was sitting in on a meeting between his father and the council, he attempted to contribute an idea and was harshly rebuked and made to leave. Of course it would bother him! His sister had been an active part of the meeting, speaking out and voicing her thoughts, but as soon as he attempts to do the same he’s sent away! It really did bother him how little his father seemed to have faith in him.

It didn’t help that he’d tripped over his own two feet as he was leaving the room and made an even bigger fool of himself. 

After the incident he’d fled to the garden to hide in shame. Embarrassed and confused, he paced among the flowers. He didn’t know what to do to make his father happy. He was never impressed by what Lance did, and never took notice of his accomplishments no matter how hard he tried to showcase them. In truth he was feeling very isolated. His sister was clearly the favourite, she never had to get lectured and ridiculed in front of others. He just wanted to make his father proud. These were the thoughts swirling through his mind as he walked, and heavy as they were they prevented him from observing his surroundings. 

So preoccupied he was, he did not hear the quiet footsteps approach, nor the heavy breathing from behind him. No, he was only to be made aware of his imminent danger when the cloth was already covering his mouth and nose. Though briefly he struggled, already his legs were going weak and his mind starting to blur. Few moments had passed, and Prince Lance of Altea was completely out before his head even hit the ground.


	2. Introducing Keith

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I’m sure he only want’s to make sure you’re alright,” she said softly, although the look in her eye told that she did not fully believe this herself. “Well, glad one of us thinks so,” Lance mumbled as he stiffly slid out of bed and checked his appearance in the mirror.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's chapter 1! There was a lot of stuff I wanted to get into this chapter, I hope it all made sense! I know in the show Alfor is portrayed as a very kind and loving father, which is why I made him be so good to Allura, but for stories sake he needs to be a pushover to Lance. Sorry bby! Anyways, I'm publishing this after only skimming through to search for any glaring mistakes, hope everything is grammatically correct!

When he came to he was lying in his bed. Briefly he wondered if the kidnapping had been a dream, but the pounding headache he felt told him otherwise. Looking around the room he saw that nothing had changed, but at his side he saw a large fluffy mass of white hair. “Allura?” he croaked out, voice feeling heavy and scratchy. Immediately her head shot up.  
“Lance! Thank goodness you’re alright, I was so worried!” She proceeded to fling her arms around him in a vice-like grip, seeming to do more damage to him than any kidnapper could hope to achieve.  
“A-Allura you’re crushing me…” he managed to wheeze out. At once the arms were gone.  
“Sorry sorry!” she exclaimed with a faint red tint to her cheeks, “But are you alright? Does anything hurt?”  
“I’m fine, really,” he said after a moment to catch his breath, “What happened?” he added as an afterthought, confusion still dominant in his mind.  
“You were almost kidnapped,” she spoke gravely, “by agents of Zarkon. If Coran hadn’t spotted them carting your unconscious body away and notified the guard who knows what they might have done!” She punctuated her statement by throwing her arms around him once more, though this time making sure to be more gentle.  
Before Lance could respond there was a whirring sound as the door silently opened and Coran marched in. “Lance! So good to see you awake! Are you feeling alright my boy?”  
“Yes Coran I’m fine, really.” said lance, feeling a very small sense of deja vu.  
“That’s good to here your highness!” Coran said in his usual chipper tone, adding as an afterthought “You should know that your father wants to speak with you as soon as you’re up.”  
“Oh, uh, great thanks Coran, I’ll head over there now.” Lance said with no small traces of trepidation, already reluctant to face his father.  
“That’s the spirit!” Coran spoke once more, waving as he exited the room. Allura gave him a pitying look from where she had been watching from his bedside.  
“I’m sure he only want’s to make sure you’re alright,” she said softly, although the look in her eye told that she did not fully believe this herself.  
“Well, glad one of us thinks so,” Lance mumbled as he stiffly slid out of bed and checked his appearance in the mirror before heading towards the observation deck where his father no doubt was waiting. Sure enough, as he entered the room, there his father stood, back to him and looking out into the universe. Lance nervously cleared his throat. “You, um, wanted to see me father?” He asked, already knowing that he wasn’t going to like whatever his father had to say to him.  
“ So you’re finally awake then? It seems like you can’t go ten minutes without getting into some sort of trouble.” That was it. No relief, no concern, simple disappointment. His father spoke plainly. While Alfor was a great king, and where his daughter was concerned a good father, it seemed he couldn’t manage to muster the same courtesy for his only son. Of course Lance was expecting this.  
“I’m sorry father,” he said for what must be the millionth time since his birth, “I’ll try to be more careful in the future.” he added, although he doubted his response would please his father.  
“More careful in the future?” His dad parroted, and yep, lance was definitely not going to like whatever he said next. “I don’t have time for you to ‘try to be more careful’. We’re in the middle of a war Lance, and I can’t be chasing after you whenever you do something stupid. I can’t be distracted by your little problems.” Okay, ouch. That one definitely stung. He really knew how to hit where it hurt. It wasn’t as if this was even his fault! He didn’t plan to get almost kidnapped! Before he could protest, his father continued. “I can’t have you being a nuisance any longer, which is why I’m putting you under constant surveillance. From now on you will have a bodyguard with you at all times, no ifs, ands, or buts.”  
Lance wanted to protest. He wanted to point out how unfair it was, how Allura didn’t need a babysitter, but the look in his father’s eye stopped him in his tracks. He was used to seeing the disappointment, the annoyance and the anger, but never had his father directed such a cold and unforgiving look at him in his whole life. He suddenly found his childhood memories flashing before his eyes, back to a time when his father would hoist him up onto his shoulders and read him bedtime stories and laugh and smile. Where was that man now? In front of him was a man that might as well have been a stranger, and Lance had to desperately fight the urge to cry.  
Oblivious to his inner turmoil, his father continued to speak in a clipped tone. “We have just made an official alliance with the Blade of Marmora, a group with many inside connections working to defeat Zarkon. You’re very fortunate that as a sign of good faith they have sent their best warrior here to Altea. From this day and until further notice, he will be your personal bodyguard. You are to go nowhere without him, and if I find out you have then there will be a severe punishment to be had, am I clear?”  
“Yes father.” Lance said quietly, misery dripping from every syllable.  
“Good,” His father said with a tone of finality, “Then I’d like you to meet Keith, the man who will be in charge of you until further notice.” He then made a beckoning gesture towards the doorway, signalling for someone to enter.  
Lance turned his head, and all at once the room seemed to melt away. He wasn’t sure what he was expecting, maybe a huge beefy soldier with rolling muscles and scars. What he got was something a thousand times better. Standing nearly a full head taller than him was probably the most gorgeous man Lance had ever laid eyes on. His build was lean yet muscular, and beautifully packaged in a skin tight black and purple body suit. His jawline sharp, cheekbones defined, arching brows, full lips, and fluffy hair that he just wanted to run his hands through, Lance was effectively smitten.  
He didn’t know for how long he had been staring, but he was broken out of his trance by his father’s harsh voice. “I don’t have anymore time to be wasting here, I expect you to finish your duties without any more delay.” With that he left, leaving Lance alone with Mr. tall, dark, and handsome.  
“Um, h-hello,” he awkwardly said, and then immediately mentally face palmed. ‘Come on! You’re the prince of Altea, you’ve flirted with over a thousand people!’ Lance mentally berated himself. Of course the most gorgeous person he’s ever seen enters his life and he has to mess it up instantly. Where did the suave prince act go? All of his cheesy one liners? Why was he suddenly so tongue tied?  
“Hello.” A deep and rich voice pulled him out of his self deprecation spiral and holy quiznack is this man even real? ‘He’s just too perfect.’ Lance thought to himself. Even his voice was amazing.

 

They didn’t really talk much from there. Lance, the man who never stopped talking, was suddenly at a loss for words. He’d never been so struck by a person before, and was clearly not handling it well. He went about the rest of his day in a trance.  
He probably would’ve snapped out of it sooner if Keith didn’t have to keep stepping into his personal space. He spent the day nearly walking into wall and doors and people, really anything in his path, and each time Keith would step in close, grab his arm and gently steer him out of harm's way. Everytime he did that Lance’s face would go a few shades darker and his eyes a little foggier.  
Finally though, it was the day's end and Lance had prepped for bed. Despite the long day he was nowhere near tired. How could he sleep when standing just inside his doorway was the incarnation of perfection himself? Lance was determined to talk to him. He needed to know more about the beautiful new stranger in his life. That didn’t stop him from spending a solid eighty-five ticks psyching himself up before he accumulated the courage to actually say anything.  
“Keith, can you com over here?” He managed to say, relieved that his voice didn’t shake. Looking a bit doubtful, the bodyguard moved closer, until he was standing near the end of the princes large bed.  
“Is something wrong?” he quietly asked, looking confused yet still alert. ‘Alright Lance, it’s now or never!’ he told himself, and before he could change his mind spoke.  
“I can’t fall asleep, I was wondering if maybe you’d talk to me until I feel tired?” There, that was good. He had no reason to suspect ulterior motives. Keith looked indecisive for a few moments, before consenting and moving a bit closer to Lance’s bedside. ‘Yes, score!’ Lance thought as he positioned himself more upright in bed.  
“What would you like to talk about?” Keith asked, looking a bit uncomfortable but otherwise willing.  
“Let’s talk about you,” Lance said, then regretted when Keith began to tense up. “I-I mean let’s talk about where you’ve been! I’ve hardly ever left the planet, only a couple times for small diplomatic meetings, and I haven’t seen much of the universe. You must travel, right?” he quickly added, hoping to rectify his mistake. It seemed to work, as keith’s shoulders relaxed and his body turned to fully face him once more.  
“Yes, I travel.” He said softly.  
“Tell me about the places you’ve seen?” Lance quietly asked.  
“Alright.” Keith consented, then began to tell tales of planets that rained diamonds, or planets with breathtaking views, the ones with the prettiest flowers and the most dangerous terrain. He spoke of far off civilizations, some Lance had never even heard of before. He spoke in a low and deep voice, the sound soothing and gentle to the ears, and with his words painted beautiful images of worlds far beyond anywhere Lance had ever been.  
Despite wanting to stay up later, to hear and learn more and just gaze upon Keith’s lovely face, eventually Lance’s eyelids began to droop. He listened and listened until he could no longer distinguish what was actually being said. As sleep overtook him, he felt the covers being gently pulled over his shoulders. Whether he imagined the quietly whispered “sweet dreams” or not he’ll never know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There it is! Hope you guys liked it, comment and tell me what you think and if you think I should continue! I think I'm probably gonna write another chapter tomorrow while I have the day off, maybe two we'll see! :)


	3. The You Who Wooed Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Over the course of the next few weeks a routine was established: Wake up, get ready for the day (insist Keith turn his head while he changed), eat breakfast with his sister, go about his duties, lunch somewhere in there, more duties, dinner, then bedtime. Really it wasn’t any different to his regular routine, except for bedtime.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back again! Posting in the middle of the night is becoming a bad habit of mine :) Hope you guys like this chapter though! Things are kinda rushed, I'll explain why at the end of the chapter.

Over the course of the next few weeks a routine was established: Wake up, get ready for the day (insist Keith turn his head while he changed), eat breakfast with his sister, go about his duties, lunch somewhere in there, more duties, dinner, then bedtime. Really it wasn’t any different to his regular routine, except for bedtime. Every night as he lay in bed he would call Keith over to talk until he felt tired. He learned a lot about Keith this way. At first they stuck to talking about the places he’d seen, and Lance would wind up dreaming about far off planets and ruby waterfalls.

After the first week though Keith had run out of places to talk about, but Lance wasn’t going to allow the conversations to end just that (not that they were really conversations anyways, just Keith talking and Lance listening). Each night Lance would gently prod Keith into telling him more about himself. At first he was extremely reluctant, but eventually Lance worked out a compromise. Lance would tell him something about himself first, and then Keith would share something. Keith seemed happier with this arrangement, and so Lance was able to learn more about his stoic guard. 

He learned that Keith’s mother had died when he was a baby, and nobody knew his father. That he had been raised by the Blade of Marmora leaders to become a great warrior, that he had been training since he could hold a weapon, that he’d beaten the Blade’s best warrior when he was a preteen. He also learned more personal details, from his favourite colour (red), to what his hobbies were (Lance had to insist several times that fighting and training weren’t hobbies before he finally admitted to ‘scrapbooking’ in his downtime, to Lance’s immense amusement). 

Lance shared with him anything and everything he could think of; favourite colours, childhood games that he still enjoyed, what foods he absolutely detested and why they were horrible, the number of cups he’d been able to balance on his head before they toppled over, really any and every arbitrary detail he could think of.

On some nights the conversations stayed lighthearted and breezy, each person sharing funny stories from their youth or sharing fun little facts. Other nights the conversations would turn deep and personal. Lance would find himself sharing his fears and insecurities, whether he wanted to or not, and surprisingly Keith would do the same. Lance talked for hours about how afraid he was to be a screwup in his father’s eyes, how he was terrified by the thought that he’d never make him proud. Keith would return the favour by talking about his childhood fear of being a burden to those who had taken him in, and how no matter what he accomplished he never felt he was good enough, that if he wasn’t training or working hard at something that he was slacking off, that he wasn’t doing enough, being enough.

Lance learned more from these conversations than he could have ever hoped for. When he had first met Keith, he had thought him to be probably the most perfect person he’d ever seen, handsome and strong and brave. The more they talked the more Lance discovered the man that lay underneath. Keith was complex; he was bad with words and rough around the edges, but underneath that he was kind and passionate and surprisingly shy. He was so much more than Lance could have ever hoped for, and to say he was screwed would be an understatement.

Keith wasn’t perfect by any means, but to Lance none of his faults even mattered. He had fallen totally head over heels for him, and he was at a complete loss as for what to do about it. Normally he would have just laid the charm on thick and flirted outrageously, but the situation felt different somehow. He really really liked Keith, more than he’d ever liked someone before, and for some reason he just felt like Keith deserved better. He wanted to woo him, to make him fall for Lance just as hard as Lance had fallen for him.

Lance was sure that there was something between them; sometimes he would catch Keith staring at him for longer than necessary, his hands would linger after catching Lance when he tripped, on more than one occasion Lance could have sworn that he’d seen a light purple blush highlighting his cheeks. What was he supposed to do? Since he could remember he’d always gone to Allura when he couldn’t figure something out, and he saw no reason for this time to be any different. 

Since there were already guards at the entrance to the dining room, having his personal bodyguard with him wasn’t necessary, which is why usually during meals Keith would take his breaks. That morning was no exception, which meant breakfast was the perfect opportunity for him to discuss what to do about Keith with his sister without the chance of said person overhearing. As soon as Keith had taken his leave Lance approached his sister.

“We need to talk,” he said as he sat down next to her. She stopped eating her breakfast and turned to him with a look of surprise and mild suspicion. Normally when he came to her with a ‘we need to talk’ issue he was sweaty, nervous and panicking. Right now he was fidgety, nervous, and anxious, with a side of giddiness. 

“...Is everything alright?” she asked cautiously, giving him her full attention.

“Yes yes, everything's fine,” he said, “well, not fine but.. Things aren’t not fine either y’know?” he added, looking to her for confirmation. The blank stare she gave him told him she didn’t. “What I mean is, I sort of have a dilemma, and I’m not sure what to do about it.” There, she should get that. 

“Tell me everything right now, don’t spare any detail,” she said as understanding dawned on her face. Lance felt that she probably had some idea as to where this conversation was going, and he was grateful to her. He could always trust her to understand him and help him when he needed it. He told her everything, from the moment he’d first laid eyes on Keith to the present day, everything he felt and all the things he wanted to do but wasn’t sure how. When he finished, he took a deep breath then turned towards Allura to see her reaction. To say she looked unhappy would be an understatement. 

“Lance, I’m not sure furthering your relationship with your bodyguard would be wise.” she started slowly, carefully picking her words so as to try not to upset him. Lance opened his mouth to protest, but before he could voice his thoughts she continued, “You know what father would say if he found out, and more importantly you’re the prince! There isn’t a future for the two of you together with things the way they are.” 

Each word out of her mouth stung more than the last, and suddenly Lance found himself going cold. Never before had Allura not sided with him. She’d always helped him when he felt lost, always knew the things to say to make him feel better. He was struck by the insurmountable fear that he was losing her, much in the same way he’d lost his father. Sensing his panic, she gently laid her hand on his shoulder and finished voicing her thoughts.

“Lance, I love you very much, and as your sister all I want is for you to be happy. I’m sorry if this isn’t what you wanted to hear, but I just don’t think you’d be properly happy in a relationship that you couldn’t even be open about. It’s your choice Lance, I can’t tell you what to do on this one. Just know that no matter what you decide, I’ll always support you, even if I don’t agree with your decision.” With that, she pulled him into an embrace and held him tightly. 

While disappointed that his sister didn’t approve of his feelings for Keith, he still felt lighter after leaving breakfast. He didn’t have a plan, but just knowing that she would support him no matter what was enough to ease some of his troubles. Not that it mattered right then, because after knowing that she didn’t think it was wise, his resolve had been tossed into the air. Should he confess? Try to forget his feelings? He was confused on what to do now more than ever, although he was sure of one thing, that being he couldn’t leave things like this. For now, he pushed it out of his mind and tried to focus on his daily tasks. 

That night started out the same as many other nights before him. He’d get comfy in his sheets, and Keith would situate himself at his bedside. Tonight was following the fun and easy sort of flow of conversation, where they were saying a lot without really saying anything. Currently, Keith was talking about a cool knife he’d bought a while back while stopped on a planet for fuel. The passion he had for sharp and pointy weapons was kinda weird, but Lance loved how animated he got when talking about something he really enjoyed. It completely changed his face, and Lance wasn’t sure if he loved his stoic pouty face or his flushed and happy face better. Finally, after an incredibly detailed account of the carvings along the handle, Keith was finished with his mini rant. 

“You know, your love for knives is pretty strange,” Lance said, mostly teasing in hopes to see Keith blush. He wasn’t disappointed.

“Well, what’s something you like then?” Keith asked as a dark purple flush spread across his cheeks.

“I like you,” Lance said automatically, not even thinking about it. It took a full five ticks for Lance to realise what he’d done, and then immediately regret it. He hadn’t meant to confess, he still wasn’t even sure if he should or not! As much as he was panicking, and as much as he wanted to take it back he knew he couldn’t. Lance squared his shoulders. The damage had already been done, but still if he was going to confess he needed to do it proper. Turning his head, he looked Keith straight in the eye. Keiths face had frozen in the expression he’d been previously making, so Lance had no idea what he was currently thinking. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he opened his mouth his spoke with as much conviction as he could muster. 

“Keith, over the time that we’ve known each other, I’ve learned many things, not only about you but also about myself. The time we spend together in these small hours have made me the happiest I’ve felt in a long time. Keith, I want you to know that I really, really like you.”

It seemed his courage dissipated the moment he got the words out, for when he was done he quickly bowed his head to hide his flushed cheeks. For a long time it was completely silent in the room. It lasted so long that Lance began to worry that Keith wouldn’t answer him at all, or maybe he’d left. Finally though, he heard Keith take a staggering breath. And in the darkness of the quiet room, gentle as a floating moonbeam, he spoke.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It feels like just yesterday my babies were meeting for the first time! No seriously, I know that this is kinda fast paced but I swear a good amount of time has passed, and they've really gotten to know and fall for each other. In reality, I'm just super impatient and just wanted them to get together, I kinda hate slow-burn :) Also, I know I'm a horrible person for ending it where I did, but just remember kids, patience yields focus! :)


	4. His response

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance carefully watched as Keith opened his eyes to look at him. He seemed resigned, and looking deeper Lance would swear up and down that he even looked a bit bashful, or perhaps maybe a touch shy. When he began to speak, Lance hung on his every word. “Lance,” He started, “Lance I…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lmao look who's back after what? 2 years of abandonment? A sudden burst of creativity has filled me and I intent to ride it as far as it will take me. Just a heads up but I definitely haven't proofread this chapter at all so it's probably full of mistakes, but since I plotted this story out before hand at least it will still be accurate plot-wise :) Anyways, enjoy!

“Lance…” he breathes out, the word barely loud enough to register. Gaining a bit of courage, he raises his eyes a bit to watch keith's face through his bangs. A flurry of emotions are passing over his features, making it difficult for lance to interpret his thoughts. There's a dark purple blush hovering on his cheeks, and while that feels like a good sign the sad and almost tearful look in his eye keeps him from getting his hopes up too high. “Lance,” he says again, this time a bit firmer, and the steeled look and determined set of his jaw tell him that keith has finally come to some sort of answer. Keith looks directly into his eyes for the first time since he’d accidentally confessed to him and says “ Lance, I am flattered that you feel this way but I cannot return your feelings.” 

Which, ouch. Ok, he knew that there was a good possibility of this happening, after all he was often turned down by the numerous people he’d flirt with, but this was different. He had no doubt in his mind that after the weeks and weeks of talking with and getting to know more about this incredible person that he had, quite without meaning to, fallen head over heels for his handsome and dependable bodyguard. Which is probably why he felt like his heart was being crushed by the universe itself when he’d heard those words. 

It must have been showing on his face, because keith's eyes seemed to go wide as he helplessly offered a soft and remorseful “sorry” before hastily looking away. Lance’s head and heart felt like they were splitting open. While he was not tired and had absolutely no desire to go to sleep, he was suddenly overcome with the overwhelming urge to be alone. At this point he was barely holding back his tears, and only just managed to stutter out an answer to keith's reply. 

“O-oh, well um, thank you then. F-for your honesty. I actually feel very tired now, could you please l-leave?” His eyes were seriously watering, and any moment now the tears would start to fall, but still he managed one last look at the man who had completely stolen his heart. The emotion on keith's face was one that in his current state he wasn’t able to decipher, but with a curt nod Keith rose from his position at Lances bedside and exited the room, no doubt still there just on the other side of the door, diligent as always. 

With keith no longer in the room, Lance turned himself onto his stomach and buried his face into his pillows, finally allowing the tears to shed. Sobs began to shake his body, silent at first but slowly gaining volume. He pressed his face further into the pillows, hoping desperately to smother the noises, lest keith hear him. That night found him sobbing and crying his broken heart out long into the night, falling asleep with tears still streaming down his red and puffy face.

 

 

The days following his failed confession were probably the most awkward and uncomfortable in his life. He could no longer bring himself to look at Keith, and their nightly talks had completely stopped. He felt more like a walking corpse than a prince, barely able to make it through the day without falling apart. He often found himself thinking back on that night and morosely wishing that he’d just kept his big mouth shut. He wished he could just forget it, let things go back to the way they were. Because as much as he was heartbroken and embarrassed, the hardest part of all of this wasn’t the rejection but rather that he could no longer talk to Keith. He found himself constantly wondering how he could fix this, how he could bring back the easy banter and light talks and deep moments shared in the dead of night. Even though Keith was around him just as much as he’d always been he felt impossibly far away, existing outside of Lance’s reach. 

Because his brain apparently liked to torment him, at night during the time he’d usually be speaking with keith he found himself reliving that night over and over, analysing every detail of that conversion. While he wished more than ever that he could stop these thoughts, because they were doing a serious number on his health, eventually he found himself noticing something a bit off about that night. At first he thought it was wishful thinking, just his pining heart desperate for anything solid it could grasp onto. But the more he thought about it, the more he was sure that there was something more.

At the time he’d barely been able to look at Keith, too embarrassed to hold eye contact for too long. But the more he looked back the more he was sure that right after his confession, for a split moment before he’d looked away he thought Keith had look happy. And hadn't he been blushing something fierce the entire time? The more he thought and thought and thought about it the more everything didn’t add up. Leading up to the confession he’d been absolutely sure that there was something building between them, and during the sleepless nights as he analysed that night he felt more and more sure that Keith reciprocated his feelings.

So then why had he rejected him? 

After almost a full month of avoiding his bodyguard like the plague, Lance was finally ready to face him, intent on getting some proper answers. Decision made, he went through the rest of that day giddy and nervous, anxiously awaiting nightfall so that he could confront his bodyguard in the guaranteed privacy of his bedchambers. That night, after he’d prepared himself for bed and was climbing into his sheets he called out to the person he’d been actively avoiding yet longing to speak to for so long now. “Keith,” he said, “ could you come over here for a while? I’d like to talk with you.” He was incredibly proud of himself that he’d managed to keep the quiver out of his voice. 

He watched Keith approach. He looked apprehensive, but Lance was also sure that in his eyes he also saw a bit of excitement and relief, which only served to embolden him further. “I’d like to ask you something, if you don’t mind.”

“Of course, anything” Keith had replied, moving into his usual spot with what looked like a bit of a nervous jitter. Luckily, Lance had actually thought this through, and so he knew what he wanted to say to Keith. 

“How do you actually feel about me?” he inquired softly, a bundle of nerves nearly choking him but still managing to keep eye contact. He was glad he did because this time he didn’t miss the way the dark blush spread across his face or how his eyes widened in surprise. 

“Wh-what?” he asked a bit breathlessly, clearly taken off guard by Lances question. Steeling his nerves, he said what he’d been wanting to say all day to Keith.

“I’ve been thinking about that night non-stop, and the more I think of it the more I don’t believe you turned me down because of your own lack of feeling, but if I ask why you turned me down you may make some excuse about it not being appropriate for people in our position. So instead I’ll ask you this; how do you feel about me? About my confessing to you? Even if you think it doesn’t matter I need to know what you’re really feeling right now.” 

Having thought the words all day he had felt confident, but now that he’d spoken them aloud he suddenly wondered if this was really a smart idea. Keith, for his part, seemed to have been completely frozen by shock. No doubt he hadn’t been expecting this to be the first thing Lance said to him after months of complete radio silence. But Lance really did need to know how Keith felt. His own sister had voiced worries about a relationship with his bodyguard, and Keith took his job very seriously. No doubt, if he reciprocated Lance’s feelings, he had considered the same things as her. 

If that was the case then Lance would simply have to convince him otherwise. Because if this month had taught him anything it was that he certainly wasn’t going to be getting over these feelings any time soon, and maybe he never would. So he would be damned if he let the probable love of his life slip through his fingers just because of things like social status and propriety. 

Lance was brought out of his thoughts when Keith deeply inhaled. Eye’s flashing to his face, Lance carefully watched as Keith opened his eyes to look at him. He seemed resigned, and looking deeper Lance would swear up and down that he even looked a bit bashful, or perhaps maybe a touch shy. When he began to speak, Lance hung on his every word. “Lance,” He started, “Lance I…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ending 2 chapters in a row on the same damn cliffhanger feels a bit evil and I have absolutely no regrets! For those of you curious, this is the last of the langst in regard to his relationship with Keith, although I'm not quite done make this poor boy suffer just yet. Don't you worry though, only one more chapter of relative angst planned and then it's fluff city for you all!

**Author's Note:**

> There's the pro-log (I know, super duper short, I'm just setting the scene!) Literally posting the first chapter right after this so not expecting too many comments, but let me know what you think! :)


End file.
